Under siege ex-politician Dan Andrews has escaped to New York to party with A-list celebrities at a event thrown by an Aussie billionaire who has just been gifted a prime Victorian government appointment.
It’s understood Andrews travelled to New York City to attend a party thrown by billionaire Visy chairman Anthony Pratt held this week at the exclusive Mandarin Oriental hotel at Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Mr Pratt held the lavish party to celebrate his recent US Green Card and his shift from Melbourne to the Big Apple.
Celebrities including comedian Chris Rock, actor George Hamilton, Aussie singer Keith Urban and former PM Tony Abbott joined Andrews and Mr Pratt at the shindig held at the 5-star hotel on Columbus Ave.
Mr Pratt, who has a personal fortune of $23billion, spared no expense with Rock performing at the exclusive event.
However, Andrews’ attendance at the party was met with criticism amid a cost-of-living crisis in his home state and a ballooning blacklist from disgruntled business heavyweights.
Victorian Liberal shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell said it was a ‘bad look’ Andrews ‘escaped to New York’ for the Mr Pratt’s celebrity soiree.
‘There’s clearly no love for Andrews in Melbourne which is evident with all the businesses blacklisting him,’ Mr Rowswell said.
Dan Andrews and his wife Catherine
Anthony Pratt at the 2024 Met Gala
‘So much so that he’s flown to New York to nestle in the bosom of billionaires… and while he’s shipping champagne, the master’s apprentice, (Premier) Jacinta Allan continues to make life harder for hard-working Victorians who pay the highest state taxes in the country.
‘Labor politicians couldn’t be more out of touch with the hardships facing Victorians if they tried.’
Andrews’ party trip revelations came the same day Premier Allan announced Mr Pratt will be taking a plumb role on the newly established Premier’s Business Council.
Mr Pratt was appointed to the council alongside other Victorian heavy-hitters including AFL boss Andrew Dillon and NAB chief Andrew Irvine.
Gurner Group chief and former Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour will serve as the council’s chair.
According to a government statement, the council will provide a ‘direct line of engagement between business and government’.
‘Through the Premier’s Business Council, I’ll hear directly from some of Victoria’s best business minds ensuring government and business are working together for the benefit of our whole state,’ Ms Allan said.
Andrews has come under fire in the last week after prominent business owners announced the former premier was banned from their services and establishments.
Victorian Liberal MP Brad Rowswell
Chris Rock performed at Mr Pratt’s NYC party
Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed on Friday that Jim’s Mowing boss Jim Penman had officially cancelled Dan Andrews at his company.
Mr Penman told the ex-Victorian premier he is banned from using any of the franchise king’s services.
The franchise king told Daily Mail Australia he had cancelled Andrews and ‘believes all of Victoria’ should blacklist the former pollie too.
‘If I was on the tools, I wouldn’t work for him, and I’d encourage any franchisee or independent contractor to do the same,’ Mr Penman said.
‘He threw over 100,000 independent contractors out of work for two months, without any form of health advice – as has now been proved by our lawsuit.
‘I’ll be very pleased to think he may have to mow his own lawn, clean his own house and cook his own dinner but I’m sure there’s someone out there who likes him who’ll do it for him.
‘It must be humiliating for him [getting backlisted]. He was all powerful sitting on his throne at Spring St, wagging his fingers saying who can work and who can’t – but people now have the power.’
Jim’s Mowing boss Jim Penman has ‘cancelled’ Andrews
Mr Penman also said he thought it was ‘personally a good idea’ for Andrews to quit Victoria after his exit from politics and his new role as chair of youth mental health trust, Orygen.
‘I would hope he leaves… he’s running out of options, I would recommend he leave Victoria, the amount of damage he has done to this state is immeasurable,’ he said.
‘It’s the state that’s the most hostile to do business in … the guy is a disaster.
‘It’s also ludicrous this business of Andrews running this mental health organisatio,, its like letting rapists run women shelters or paedophiles running childcare centres.
‘Andrews has done more to undermine mental health than anyone in the state’s history… I’ve seen the affects first hand, I’ve seen people lose homes and families… I actually know these people.’
Daily Mail Australia also revealed last week that ex-AFL star Paul Dimattina, who runs popular South Melbourne venue Lamaro’s Hotel, had banned Andrews from his venue.
Mr Dimattina said the former premier was ‘easily the most hated person’ in the Victoria as it is revealed multiple restaurant owners had refused service to Mr Andrews and his wife Cath.
‘No hope Andrews would get a seat at my pub,’ Mr Dimattina told Daily Mail Australia.
Ex-AFL player and Melbourne restaurant heavy-weight Paul Dimattina
‘If he walked in and sat down… the Lamaro’s crowd would be disgusted if they saw him… Andrews is hated because of his whole anti-business stance.
‘The trail of destruction Andrews left is still being felt today, small businesses closed down, endless lockdowns, critical healthcare neglected, children missing out on school… he didn’t help anyone.
‘Mental health went downhill and now Andrews has a job in mental health if you can believe that.’
Mr Dimattina, who followed his 131-game AFL career by taking charge of the restaurant and produce empire founded by his father Frank, said Andrews also ‘absolutely crippled’ the hospitality industry.
He became a leading voice opposing Victoria’s Covid response as Mr Andrews imposed the world’s longest periods of lockdown.
‘Business was decimated, the CBD is a ghost town, once thriving restaurants are boarded up, its the same at every high street, Chapel St, Lygon St, there’s empty businesses everywhere,’ he said.
‘What Andrews did is he made running a small business not an easy thing… he’d be better off leaving the state, I’m sure there’s some people who still love him, lefties and that, but he’s not welcome anywhere and we’ll all be better off without seeing him here.’
Dimattina’s family own, and have owned, multiple restaurants in the city including along the famous Lygon Street precinct.
Andrews was Victorian Premier for almost nine years before he resigned in late 2023 and he has taken on a new role at Orygen, a mental health organisation.
